Katie Hill, a Nashville native and former press secretary for U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, was recently hired as the new communications director for former President Barack Obama.

Hill, a 2000 graduate of Harpeth Hall in Nashville, started in her new role at the personal office of the 44th president in August, replacing Kevin Lewis.

The 36-year-old Hill was previously working as a consultant for Protect Our Care initiative, which has fought Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, after a two-year stint as an assistant press secretary in the White House that ended in January.

In her new position, Hill is working in a Washington D.C. office with around a dozen aides who help with Obama's post-presidency endeavors and public profile, including work with the Obama Foundation, managing public events, his speeches, both paid and unpaid, and the upcoming release of a new book by Obama.

"Getting to work for this president again, but now in his post-presidency as he charts a course as an influential private citizen, is an honor of a lifetime," Hill said. "Barack Obama I think is a once-in-a-generation leader and political thinker, and he is also one of the youngest former presidents, certainly in modern history. And he still has a lot that he wants to accomplish."

President Barack Obama, center, walks out of the White House, with members of his staff, and towards the Blair House, which is across the street, for an interview with Vox's Ezra Klein and Sarah Kliff, to discuss Affordable Care Act, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)

Obama's personal office is funded by both private dollars and funding from the General Services Administration. Former First Lady Michelle Obama also has a staff at the same office.

Among his activities in recent weeks, Barack Obama has stumped for Democratic candidate for Virginia governor Ralph Northam, launched a Hurricane Harvey relief effort with other former living presidents, spoke at a Gates Foundation event on leadership and a separate event at the Beau Biden Foundation, and stopped by a classroom in Washington D.C. to speak to students.

Anita Decker, chief of staff for Obama, said Hill demonstrated "her smarts, judgement, dedication and work ethic every day on behalf of the American people" during her work in the White House.

"President Obama is lucky to have a strategist of her caliber by his side as he builds on his already impressive legacy in the years to come," she said.

Hill was press secretary for Cooper from 2011 to 2013 after working four years as a senior account executive at Nashville-based McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations.

"Katie is doing Nashville and America proud," Cooper said in a statement. "Her first-rate work first wowed me, then Capitol Hill and then President Obama. Katie is an inspiration to us all."

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236, jgarrison@tennessean.com and on Twitter @joeygarrison.